LEE COUNTY — The Lee County Health Department is asking anyone who patronized the Sublette Saloon on Sept. 19 or Sept 20 to contact the health department at 815-441-1372 due to potential exposure.

The Lee County Health Department is also working on cases from a wedding in Amboy the weekend of Sept. 18.  They would like to remind residents that attending large gatherings without social distancing and face coverings is not a good idea; nor is being in a bar without distancing and masking.

Positive Tests

On Sept. 23, the Lee County Health Department announced 13 cases in Jack Mabley residents. All positive residents are from one house and there are currently no positive or pending employees.

Between Sept. 21 and Sept. 26, the Lee County Health Department has reported  a total of 29 new cases have been reported and here are the ages that were announced: 1 in his or her 20s, 3 in his or her 30s, 1 in his or her 40s, 3 in his or her 50s, 1 in his or her 60s, and 1 in his or her 80s. 

This brings the total number of cases to 359 as of Sept. 26. Of the 359 cases, 281 have recovered. Currently, there are 2 residents hospitalized due to COVID-19.

The Unified Command Team would like to remind our community that COVID-19 remains in our area and continues to be a real threat. Some people who have tested positive have had no symptoms or mild symptoms. Others have felt miserable or even been hospitalized.  Although there are individuals considered at a higher risk for complications due to COVID-19, some otherwise healthy people have also become very sick.  The more the virus spreads and the more cases Lee County has locally, the risk of very ill or hospitalized individuals increases.

Please, for yourself and others, follow the state and federal recommendations.  It’s easy to remember as the 3 W’s:  Wash your hands; Watch your distance; and Wear your mask. 

Also, we’d like to mention the process of contact tracing. If your local health department tries to contact you, please answer or return their call. Some people may feel distrustful or afraid of the term “contact tracing.” This is actually a strategy used for many years in public health to reduce the spread of infectious disease. Contact tracing is a critical piece of our mitigation efforts against COVID-19. More information can be found at this link:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/contact-tracing.html 

What to do if you think you have or have been exposed to COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals with symptoms SHOULD NOT GO to health care facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and urgent care centers without CALLING FIRST. Instead, they can seek care by using one of the following options:

Testing:

Anyone with COVID-19 like symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, chills, sudden loss of taste and or smell and fever) OR who have a risk factor, such as contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19, a compromised immune system or a serious chronic medical condition can get a test, even without a doctor’s order. 

And now the following people can be tested with or without symptoms.  

• Work in health care facility

• Work in correctional facilities, such as jails or prisons

• Serve as first responders, such as paramedics, emergency medical technicians, law enforcement officers, or firefighters

• Support critical infrastructure , such as workers in grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, gas stations, public utilities, factories, childcare and sanitation. 

Call the KSB Hotline Monday-Friday, 9-5 at 285-7777 to determine eligibility for testing.

Residents can go to the following websites for additional information:

Go to KSB, LCHD, IDPH, or CDC websites.  Lee County Health Department provides regular updates on its Facebook page.

• https://www.ksbhospital.com/coronavirus-outbreak-covid-19/

• http://www.lchd.com 

• http://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus 

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html 

• For businesses: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html

• Facebook: Lee County IL Health Department